Foreign reports suggest Azerbaijan may join a multinational stabilization force in Gaza. Analysts argue that the Muslim-majority nation is a credible, widely accepted partner whose military and economic experience could serve Israel’s interests.
Following the end of the Israel-Hamas War, international discussions have gained momentum around forming a stabilization force to restore order and rebuild infrastructure. Israel is seeking partners for postwar security, and Azerbaijan’s name has repeatedly surfaced as one of the leading candidates.
According to foreign sources, Baku is being considered alongside other Muslim-majority countries. Experts believe its participation could bring Israel strategic, diplomatic, and economic benefits. Joseph Epstein, director of the Turan Research Center in Washington, said Azerbaijan’s inclusion “would strengthen Israel through its long-standing partnership and shared strategic interests with regard to Iran.”
Azerbaijani-Israeli ties
Professor Zeev Khanin of Bar-Ilan University’s Begin-Sadat Center noted that “the Israeli-Palestinian conflict had no bearing on the Baku–Jerusalem alliance; Baku never froze or delayed cooperation due to any escalation.”
Over the past three decades, Israel and Azerbaijan have built close security ties, highlighted during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Azerbaijan used Israeli-made defense systems that proved decisive, experienced analysts said, could be valuable for stabilizing Gaza.
Both nations face Iran-backed proxies: Hezbollah and Hamas for Israel, and Hüseyniyyun, often called the Hezbollah of the Caucasus, for Azerbaijan. Analysts say that closer coordination between the two could serve as a regional deterrent and signal a unified front against Iranian influence.
Azerbaijan’s participation could also help legitimize the mission in the eyes of the Muslim world. The secular, Muslim-majority country has maintained open relations with Israel despite regional pressure to sever ties. Its presence in a peacekeeping coalition could frame the mission as humanitarian rather than occupying and may encourage other regional partners to join.
Baku has pledged continued humanitarian aid to the Palestinians and brings postwar reconstruction experience from Karabakh that could help Gaza rebuild.
On the economic front, Azerbaijan supplies much of Israel’s crude oil. In 2025, its national energy company SOCAR deepened the partnership by purchasing a 10 percent stake in Israel’s Tamar gas field, a move Jerusalem views as strategically linking energy, security, and diplomacy.
Analysts say Azerbaijan’s involvement would diversify the coalition, reduce dependence on Western troops, and lower the risk of escalation. The presence of a trusted Muslim partner would send a message of pragmatic regional cooperation based on mutual interests rather than ideology.
If a multinational force is ultimately established in Gaza and Azerbaijan joins it, experts believe success will depend on execution: a clear mandate, balanced authority, and effective coordination between military and civilian priorities. They see in this initiative a test of whether regional alliances can turn diplomacy into lasting stability on the ground.